Undergraduate
Saint Michael's student spends the summer in NSF-funded math research program at the University of Georgia
Brittany Baker explores links between origami and mathematics
Contact Information:
Buff Lindau, Public Relations
802.654.2536
blindau@smcvt.edu
Brittany Baker, a junior mathematics major at Saint Michael's College, was selected competitively to participate this summer in a National Science Foundation-funded REU program on "The Mathematics of Paper Folding" held June 8 to July 24 at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. The program, linked to the university's respected graduate program in mathematics, is designed to provide Research Experience for Undergraduates, in order to encourage them to continue on to graduate programs.
According to the program description, "Origami, the art of paper folding, has deep geometric roots. However, the mathematical theory behind origami has really only been developed with the past 20 years. This REU focuses on learning, applying and extending that theory."
A story in the University of Georgia online magazine quoted the Vermonter: "'I'm just amazed at how much depth there is to origami. I didn't realize there was so much deeper math in it,' said Brittany Baker, a student at St. Michael's College in Vermont." The story titled, "Math professor brings students into the fold with origami" features a fast-time video showing the process of doing origami.
"Students get a real sense of what it's like to do mathematics research at these summer programs," said Dr. George Ashline, professor of mathematics at Saint Michael's, and Ms. Baker's adviser.
Her summer program explored many aspects of origami and the mathematics behind it, while using theory to design new models and to investigate open questions in the theory. They explored both classical origami, which focuses on making models of animals, people and inanimate objects, and modular origami, which focuses on creating geometric objects, often using linked simple units and different colors to display the underlying geometry.
Saint Michael's College, founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation's Best 371 Colleges. A liberal arts, residential, Catholic college, Saint Michael's is located just outside of Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns and less than two hours from Montreal. As one of only 270 institutions nationwide with a prestigious Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus, Saint Michael's has 2,000 full-time undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 200 international students. In recent years Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Guggenheim, Fulbright, National Science Foundation and other grants, and Saint Michael's professors have been named Vermont Professor of the Year in four of the last eight years. The college is currently listed as one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Buff Lindau, Public Relations
802.654.2536
blindau@smcvt.edu
Brittany Baker, a junior mathematics major at Saint Michael's College, was selected competitively to participate this summer in a National Science Foundation-funded REU program on "The Mathematics of Paper Folding" held June 8 to July 24 at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. The program, linked to the university's respected graduate program in mathematics, is designed to provide Research Experience for Undergraduates, in order to encourage them to continue on to graduate programs.According to the program description, "Origami, the art of paper folding, has deep geometric roots. However, the mathematical theory behind origami has really only been developed with the past 20 years. This REU focuses on learning, applying and extending that theory."
A story in the University of Georgia online magazine quoted the Vermonter: "'I'm just amazed at how much depth there is to origami. I didn't realize there was so much deeper math in it,' said Brittany Baker, a student at St. Michael's College in Vermont." The story titled, "Math professor brings students into the fold with origami" features a fast-time video showing the process of doing origami.
"Students get a real sense of what it's like to do mathematics research at these summer programs," said Dr. George Ashline, professor of mathematics at Saint Michael's, and Ms. Baker's adviser.
Her summer program explored many aspects of origami and the mathematics behind it, while using theory to design new models and to investigate open questions in the theory. They explored both classical origami, which focuses on making models of animals, people and inanimate objects, and modular origami, which focuses on creating geometric objects, often using linked simple units and different colors to display the underlying geometry.
Saint Michael's College, founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation's Best 371 Colleges. A liberal arts, residential, Catholic college, Saint Michael's is located just outside of Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns and less than two hours from Montreal. As one of only 270 institutions nationwide with a prestigious Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus, Saint Michael's has 2,000 full-time undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 200 international students. In recent years Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Guggenheim, Fulbright, National Science Foundation and other grants, and Saint Michael's professors have been named Vermont Professor of the Year in four of the last eight years. The college is currently listed as one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
